HAL newbies, what does Signature Bev. package include...?

[Qcruise]

We are aboard a transition pre Alaska cruise next April on the Kotingsdam and just purchased the signature beverage package.  We are used to Princess and their includes specialty coffees and milkshakes and water bottles too not just booze.  Is this also true for HAL....?  I hear there is pay items at the Dutch Cafe .....is this covered....?

[Qcruise]

I've read the discription on line and it does not seem very clear.   It looks like coffees are covered but not sure about any food items.   Can someone who has done this before offer any clarity....?   Thank you.

[DeeniEncinitas]

1 hour ago, Qcruise said:

We are aboard a transition pre Alaska cruise next April on the Kotingsdam and just purchased the signature beverage package.  We are used to Princess and their includes specialty coffees and milkshakes and water bottles too not just booze.  Is this also true for HAL....?  I hear there is pay items at the Dutch Cafe .....is this covered....?

Holland America Line

Ships: Fleetwide

Package Details: For $51.69 per person, per day, with advance purchase, or $57.44 when you purchase onboard, Holland America's Signature Beverage Package allows cruisers to indulge in a variety of wine, beer, spirits, cocktails (including nonalcoholic), sodas and coffee for an entire sailing. Each drink must cost no more than $9.

The Elite Beverage Package will buy you premium spirits, cocktails, wines, beers, coffees, nonalcoholic beverages, bottled water and sodas, up to a value of $15 each. On Koningsdam, this also includes the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines, which offer more than 100 flavors. The price for the Elite Beverage Package is $63.19 per person, per day if purchased in advance or onboard.

The line also offers a Cellar Master Package, which includes a choice of five wine bottles, a standard and a premium wine-tasting, one Pinnacle Grill dinner, a wine accessory gift set and a Holland America Line commemorative bottle of wine, starting at $252 per person.

Fine Print: Prices reflect an included 15 percent service charge. Packages are only available to purchase onboard during the first 48 hours of the cruise. If one passenger in a cabin opts for a Signature or Elite drinks package, anyone who is 21-plus years old in the same cabin is required to purchase it as well. Items from the mini-bar, in-room dining and beverages on Half Moon Cay are excluded from package. 

The package is now $11.00 from $9.00!

🌺 we enjoy all the specialty coffees at Explorers Cafe and also Dutch Cafe plus 

all your waters this is included!

Denise😊

[TAD2005]

The Signature Beverage Package (SBP) covers all alcoholic drinks with a menu price of $11 or less.  And you don't have to concern yourself with the 15% service charge, because you have already paid that when you purchased the package.  Check the drink menus on Roger Jett Photography dot com, and you will see the current drink prices and what is available for $11 and under.   You can get all beers, most every mixed drink and a decent selection of wines with the SBP.   Just about every gin, vodka, rum, scotch, is included, and drinks with multiple alcohols still count as one drink.  You can get a Long Island Ice Tea which has many types of alcohol in it and it is covered.  You can get doubles of any drink,  but it counts as 2 drinks of your daily limit of 15.   If you do order a drink that costs more than $11 menu price, your cabin account will be charged for the full amount of the drink plus 15% SC.   You cannot just pay the difference.  Both passengers in your cabin must purchase the same drink package.  This prevents drink sharing.   People have tried to scam the system in the past and order a drink for a cabin-mate or a friend and discretely sliding that drink over to them.  The waiters are attuned to this and will cancel your package with no refunds.

With the SBP, you can also get unlimited sodas (cans or in a glass), bottles of water in 500 or 330 ml sizes, and all non-alcoholic specialty coffees.   You can use it in the MDR and any specialty restaurants.   

The SBP will not cover any drinks from your mini-bar in your cabin or any room service drinks.  Also drinks on Half Moon Cay are not covered.   Bottles of water that you might buy when heading down the gangway for a shore excursion are not included. 

If, when you get onboard, and find that the $11 limit is not sufficient, especially if you like your wines, you can easily upgrade to the Elite Beverage Package that has a $15 limit, by paying the difference in the daily price.   But if you check the drink menus before your cruise, you should be able to determine which package is best for you.

We always find the SBP saves us hundreds of $$$ on every cruise, but our cruises are usually 21 days and longer, with many sea days.  Enjoy !! 

[TAD2005]

20 minutes ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

Holland America Line

Ships: Fleetwide

Package Details: For $51.69 per person, per day, with advance purchase, or $57.44 when you purchase onboard, Holland America's Signature Beverage Package allows cruisers to indulge in a variety of wine, beer, spirits, cocktails (including nonalcoholic), sodas and coffee for an entire sailing. Each drink must cost no more than $9.

The Elite Beverage Package will buy you premium spirits, cocktails, wines, beers, coffees, nonalcoholic beverages, bottled water and sodas, up to a value of $15 each. On Koningsdam, this also includes the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines, which offer more than 100 flavors. The price for the Elite Beverage Package is $63.19 per person, per day if purchased in advance or onboard.

The line also offers a Cellar Master Package, which includes a choice of five wine bottles, a standard and a premium wine-tasting, one Pinnacle Grill dinner, a wine accessory gift set and a Holland America Line commemorative bottle of wine, starting at $252 per person.

Fine Print: Prices reflect an included 15 percent service charge. Packages are only available to purchase onboard during the first 48 hours of the cruise. If one passenger in a cabin opts for a Signature or Elite drinks package, anyone who is 21-plus years old in the same cabin is required to purchase it as well. Items from the mini-bar, in-room dining and beverages on Half Moon Cay are excluded from package. 

The package is now $11.00 from $9.00!

🌺 we enjoy all the specialty coffees at Explorers Cafe and also Dutch Cafe plus 

all your waters this is included!

Denise😊

The most current prices of the SBP, copied from the HAL website today are "Prices are per day at $44.95 if pre-booked online compared to $54.95 if purchased on board".   With the 15% service charge added, that makes the online purchase $51.70 per day and the onboard price $63.20 per day.   The Elite beverage package is now $59.95 per day plus 15%, or $68.95 per day.   The elite package has the same price, if you purchase it online, before the cruise or onboard using cabin credits.  HAL recently raised the price for onboard SBP purchases.  It used to be a $5 a day penalty, now it's a $10 a day penalty, plus the usual 15%.   I call it a penalty because HAL would prefer you use your own money to buy the drink packages instead of using the free, HAL provided cabin credits.   If you are going to use their free cabin credits, they will grab more of it for the SBP when you buy onboard.  You are correct that the max drink price for the SBP is now $11, up from $9.

Edited August 29, 2019 by TAD2005

[fatcat04]

Here is a website by one of our CCers Crew News with all the updated beverage menus. Enjoy your cruise!! 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/specialty-2/hal-regular-and-specialty-restaurants

Edited August 29, 2019 by fatcat04

[kazu]

2 hours ago, Qcruise said:

We are aboard a transition pre Alaska cruise next April on the Kotingsdam and just purchased the signature beverage package.  We are used to Princess and their includes specialty coffees and milkshakes and water bottles too not just booze.  Is this also true for HAL....?  I hear there is pay items at the Dutch Cafe .....is this covered....?

 

As to our specialty coffees and bottle of water or you sofa/pop, etc., yes it’s all covered under the SBP.

 

what isn’t covered is your mini bar / room service or the bottles of water (in my experience) as you are exiting the ship as they have no ability to scan it.

 

Simple solution is to pick up the bottle of water (or pop if you prefer) and stick in your mini bar so it is cool for you the next day and that is included.

 

hope this helps.  

 

Sorry, haven’t been on the K so can’t comment on milkshakes.

[CruiserBruce]

Its a drink package. No food items are offered.

 

Its the Koningsdam.

[ski ww]

For two people you'd have to drink a lot to recover the cost. I normally get a wine package for dinner & have a couple of drinks for sail away or on sea days. For us this would not be a good deal.

[Qcruise]

Thanks to all the the great information.......it is appreciated.

[zuzanna]

I'm on the Oosterdam  Sept 15, 2019 Seattle to Alaska cruise. I am in a Veranda balcony cabin and am sailing alone. I thought there were 2 drink packages for the ship, one for $50.00 and one for $100.00. I thought this covered the length of the cruise not per day. Its my first cruise so would appreciate some clarification on this.  Also is there a photographer on the ship that could help with pointers for taking photos in Glacier Bay?

Thanks all for your help.

Suz

[CruiserBruce]

There are 2 beverage packages, Signature and Elite, and they have a per day price, but you can only buy them for the entire cruise.

 

There are beverage cards, that have round number values like you are asking about.

[Despegue]

A couple of additional remarks on things that sometimes cause confusion:

 

Non-alcoholic drinks are UNLIMITED. 

I will say this another way to be absolutely clear on this: ONLY Alcoholic drinks are limited to 15 beverages per day.

 

Large bottles of water (all vessels), the self-service draft beer and Coke Freestyle machines ( where installed) are NOT included. Do be aware.

 

 

On disembarkation day, meaning your last morning onboard, your package will not be valid anymore. Sometimes, a friendly waiter will accept your card, but this is NOT the rule.

 

Onboard Nieuw Statendam, Rijndam and Koningsdam, Milkshakes are NOT included as they are made with gelato at a designated surcharge gelato parlour. A friendly waiter MIGHT find a way around this ( I can not give further details) but that is not the rule.

 

 

[Wayfairers]

Glad to have found this thread.  I’ve purchased wine packages in the past but we got the signature beverage package included for upcoming cruise and I don’t know much about it. Interesting to see that self serve draft beer isn’t included....never seen that on a HAL...does Nieuw Statendam have self serve draft beer?

[TriumphGuy]

Not wanting to hijack the thread but maybe somebody can answer this.

We got the Signature beverage package included as a "freebie" with our 14 night transatlantic cruise next April 2020 on the Nieuw Statendam. In the description in the booking from our TA (a large organization geared towards retired people), it says all drinks $9 and under. But looking online at HAL, it appears this package is described as all drinks $11 and under. 

I'm a bit confused. Are there 2 Signature beverage packages? Or is the large retired persons' organization just not up to date?

Thanks

[trk_koa]

We purchased the SBP for the two of us for our upcoming cruise. First time on HAL. 

 

With SBP, when you order your drink, do you have to sign each time? DH hates dealing with all the paper. He wanted the package because he loved Azamara and Paul Gauguin where it was just so easy not dealing with signing chits all the time. 

[CruiserBruce]

No, you don't have to sign at all. Only occasional receipts...I think it is a training issue...most of the time you won't get any receipt.

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, TriumphGuy said:

Not wanting to hijack the thread but maybe somebody can answer this.

We got the Signature beverage package included as a "freebie" with our 14 night transatlantic cruise next April 2020 on the Nieuw Statendam. In the description in the booking from our TA (a large organization geared towards retired people), it says all drinks $9 and under. But looking online at HAL, it appears this package is described as all drinks $11 and under. 

I'm a bit confused. Are there 2 Signature beverage packages? Or is the large retired persons' organization just not up to date?

Thanks

As discussed here frequently, the two drink packages include drinks up to $11 (Signature BP) and 15 (Elite BP). There is still, unfortunately, some old advertising and info saying $9 for the Signature.

[RevNeal]

If you have the SBP or the EBP and want to order a glass (or 3) of wine in the MDR at dinner, do you order from the Wine Steward, as you would if you had a Wine package or were buying bottles one at a time? In the past I've always gotten a wine package, but this time I'm going to have a beverage package.

[RuthC]

36 minutes ago, RevNeal said:

If you have the SBP or the EBP and want to order a glass (or 3) of wine in the MDR at dinner, do you order from the Wine Steward, as you would if you had a Wine package or were buying bottles one at a time?

Yes. 

[TAD2005]

On 8/30/2019 at 4:10 PM, zuzanna said:

I'm on the Oosterdam  Sept 15, 2019 Seattle to Alaska cruise. I am in a Veranda balcony cabin and am sailing alone. I thought there were 2 drink packages for the ship, one for $50.00 and one for $100.00. I thought this covered the length of the cruise not per day. Its my first cruise so would appreciate some clarification on this.  Also is there a photographer on the ship that could help with pointers for taking photos in Glacier Bay?

Thanks all for your help.

Suz

There are 2 drink packages.   The regular Signature Beverage Package (SBP) and the Elite version.   The differences are the cost per day and the maximum drink price.   The SBP will cost you $51.70 per cruise day.  And you must purchase any drink package for the duration of the whole cruise.  You cannot pick and choose the days you want the package to be in effect.  The Elite package will cost $68.95 per day.  Both prices include the 15% service charge.  If you wait to buy the SBP when you get onboard, you can use your onboard cabin credit to help pay for the SBP,  but you will pay $10 per day more than if you bought it online before your cruise.   The daily price for the SBP purchased on the first day of your cruise is $63.20, including the 15% SC.   You pay the 15% service charge when you purchase the package, so you do not have to worry about that 15% when you are looking at the drink menus for prices.   As long as the menu price is under $11 for the SBP and under $15 for the Elite, you are covered.   You do not get receipts for your drinks and you do not have to sign for them.   You can request a receipt, but it does not show your cumulative total for the 15 alcoholic beverage daily count.  You must keep track of that yourself.   Water in 330 and 500 ml bottles are included, sodas in cans, specialty coffees also included.   Yes, draft beer is also included, but not the self-serve draft.   

Wow !! an all inclusive drink package for $50 or $100 for a whole cruise ???   For that to be a reality, it would have to be a one-day cruise.

[RedmondCruiser]

On 8/31/2019 at 10:18 AM, TriumphGuy said:

Not wanting to hijack the thread but maybe somebody can answer this.

We got the Signature beverage package included as a "freebie" with our 14 night transatlantic cruise next April 2020 on the Nieuw Statendam. In the description in the booking from our TA (a large organization geared towards retired people), it says all drinks $9 and under. But looking online at HAL, it appears this package is described as all drinks $11 and under. 

I'm a bit confused. Are there 2 Signature beverage packages? Or is the large retired persons' organization just not up to date?

Thanks

 

Noticed the same confusion.  Called HAL and the home office said it was $11 per drink.

[Aquahound]

Does anyone have a current drinks menu showing the prices?  I would imagine a lot can be purchased for under $11 but for example, what is HAL currently charging for a martini?  

 

The link posted by fatcat04 says updated in 2016.

Edited September 2, 2019 by Aquahound

[kazu]

2 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

Does anyone have a current drinks menu showing the prices?  I would imagine a lot can be purchased for under $11 but for example, what is HAL currently charging for a martini?  

 

Pretty much all standard hard liquor drinks are within the SBP range.  Most martinis are as well.

 

The package works out well for someone who likes beer or liquor.  Not so great for those that are fussy about their wine 😉 IMO.

[Aquahound]

Just now, kazu said:

 

Pretty much all standard hard liquor drinks are within the SBP range.  Most martinis are as well.

 

The package works out well for someone who likes beer or liquor.  Not so great for those that are fussy about their wine 😉 IMO.

 

Thank you Kazu.  I just booked a last minute Eurodam cruise and the SBP was only $130 per person....total.  What a great deal!  Not sure how long that promotion is going or if its only for last minute cruises, but it's almost a no brainer to purchase it at that cost.